Another victim of Xenophobia in South Africa! Not only was he chased and badly injured after he was beaten and pelted with stones – but the Zimbabwean Elvis Nyathi like the Mozambican Ernesto Nhamuave in 2008 died last weekend in April after being set aflame.  

A sad reminder of the uprising during the apartheid era, when suspected collaborators of the National Party regime had been set alight with burning tyres. At that time the fury was directed against a perceived enemy. Today it is an angry reaction to the misery of unemployment and absence of effective government services and relief of the misery of township life and poverty.

Tragically the “non-South African refugees” are innocent targets. No refugee who sought refuge from persecution, war or poverty is to blame. It is the government that must take responsibility for the so-called “state capture” of the Zuma years, when billions of Rand were diverted from the state that should have benefited the people. True, the Zondo Commission sat for three years and revealed the corruption, which was finally summed up in the Commission’s report this year. Yet it seems that loud-mouthed denials often coupled with  misplaced clan loyalties have caused the impoverished masses to ignore this. Indeed the support of the ex-President was seen by the July 2021 riots, when 72 people were killed. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa named the recent attacks as criminal, which was unfortunately watered down by the ANC spokesman, while the Home Affairs Minister was accused of inaction to assist non-South Africans to arrange renewal of their resident permission, which was delayed by Covid. 

 It is alarming that Zimbabweans are again fleeing their home country for South Africa in despair because of the unstable economic and political situation. This can only further inflame the minds of those determined refugees who are responsible for their own ills.

The large Zimbabwe Diaspora should not be left alone to protest against the fate of their people in South Africa.  A wave of letters to South Africa’s President demanding action on behalf of the helpless refugees together with their protection. The ineffectual Home Minister should be replaced! At the same time the causes of the arrival of refugees should be highlighted and the demand that western governments should help to change and remove these. Hopefully President Ramaphosa and his ANC, despite its division will swiftly move swiftly to implement the Zondo Report so that the stolen funds. These are badly needed to improve a weak Rand and ensure service deliveries.